System and method for access control via mobile device

Abstract

A system is described for controlling an actuating unit that restricts physical access such as a motorized garage door actuator unit. The system comprises a mobile wireless communication device, an electro-mechanical access control security device, and a receiving unit controlling the electro-mechanical access control security device, the receiving unit paired with the mobile wireless communication device for receiving user input for activating the electro-mechanical access control security device via a peer-to-peer communication directly with the mobile wireless communication device, and a pre-authorization of communication of the receiving unit with the mobile wireless communication device, the mobile wireless communication device receiving the pre-authorization from a central security server.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for controlling physical access comprising:
 a central security server;   a mobile wireless communication device supporting a plurality of wireless communication technologies including:
 mobile wireless, and 
 short-range wireless; 
   an electro-mechanical access control security device;   a receiving unit controlling the electro-mechanical access control security device, wherein the receiving unit is adapted to be paired with a host on the mobile wireless communication device, and wherein the receiving unit is adapted for receiving user commands from the paired host for activating the electro-mechanical access control security device via a plurality of modes including:
 a remote mode solely using a peer-to-peer communication directly with the mobile wireless communication device via the short-range wireless communication technology; and 
 a global mode using a pre-authorization, obtained by the host on the mobile wireless communication device from the central security server via the mobile wireless technology, for a user command issued from the mobile wireless communication device to the receiving unit via the short-range wireless communication technology. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the central security unit is adapted to store configuration information for a set of hosts, the configuration information being used to provide the pre-authorization to the host on the mobile wireless communication device. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the host and receiving unit are adapted to carry out an initializing pairing operation using encrypted peer-to-peer communications. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3  wherein the peer-to-peer communications utilize Bluetooth short-range wireless communications technology. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein individual ones of a set of hosts are configured to operate in the remote and/or global mode on an individualized host-by-host basis. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the mobile wireless technology is a cellular wireless technology. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the mobile wireless device is a cellular phone adapted to execute application programs. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the mobile wireless devices is a tablet computer.